The Bible

 

Génesis 13

Study

   

1 Así subió Abram de Egipto hacia el mediodía, él y su mujer, con todo lo que tenía, y con él Lot.

2 Y Abram era riquísimo en ganado, en plata y oro.

3 Y volvió por sus jornadas de la parte del mediodía hacia Betel, hasta el lugar donde había estado antes su tienda entre Betel y Hai;

4 al lugar del altar que había hecho allí antes; e invocó allí Abram el nombre del SEÑOR.

5 Y asimismo Lot, que andaba con Abram, tenía ovejas, y vacas, y tiendas.

6 De tal manera que la tierra no los sufría para morar juntos; porque su hacienda era mucha, y no pudieron habitar juntos.

7 Y hubo contienda entre los pastores del ganado de Abram y los pastores del ganado de Lot; y el cananeo y el ferezeo habitaban entonces en la tierra.

8 Entonces Abram dijo a Lot: No haya ahora altercado entre mí y ti, entre mis pastores y los tuyos, porque somos hermanos.

9 ¿No está toda la tierra delante de ti? Yo te ruego que te apartes de mí. Si tú fueres a la mano izquierda, yo iré a la derecha; y si a la derecha, yo a la izquierda.

10 Y alzó Lot sus ojos, y vio toda la llanura del Jordán, que toda ella era de riego, antes que destruyese el SEÑOR a Sodoma, y a Gomorra, como un huerto del SEÑOR, como la tierra de Egipto entrando en Zoar.

11 Entonces Lot escogió para sí toda la llanura del Jordán; y se fue Lot al oriente, y se apartaron el uno del otro.

12 Abram se asentó en la tierra de Canaán, y Lot se asentó en las ciudades de la llanura, y puso sus tiendas hasta Sodoma.

13 Mas los hombres de Sodoma eran malos y pecadores para con el SEÑOR en gran manera.

14 Y el SEÑOR dijo a Abram, después que Lot se apartó de él: Alza ahora tus ojos, y mira desde el lugar donde tú estás hacia el aquilón, y al mediodía, y al oriente y al occidente;

15 porque toda la tierra que tú ves, la daré a ti y a tu simiente para siempre.

16 Y pondré tu simiente como el polvo de la tierra; que si alguno podrá contar el polvo de la tierra, también tu simiente será contada.

17 Levántate, ve por la tierra a lo largo de ella y a su ancho; porque a ti la tengo de dar.

18 Y asentó Abram su tienda, y vino, y moró en el alcornocal de Mamre, que es en Hebrón, y edificó allí altar al SEÑOR.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1502

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

1502. From these considerations it is now evident that Abram's sojourning in Egypt represents and means nothing else than the Lord, in particular His instruction during childhood. This is also confirmed by what is stated in Hosea,

Out of Egypt I called My son. Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15.

And further still from what is said in Moses,

The dwelling of the sons of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it happened at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that very day it happened that all the hosts of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:40-41.

Those four hundred and thirty years were measured not from the time that Jacob entered Egypt but from Abram's sojourning in Egypt. Thus 'My son out of Egypt' in Hosea 11:1 means, in the internal sense, the Lord. The matter gains further confirmation from the fact that 'Egypt' in the Word means nothing other than knowledge, as shown in 1164, 1165, 1462.

[2] And that these arcana are contained in this section may become additionally clear from the fact that similar things are said of Abram when he sojourned in Philistia, namely that he called his wife his sister, Genesis 20:1-end, and also of Isaac, who, when he too sojourned in Philistia, called his wife his sister, Genesis 26:6-13. These actions would never have been recorded in the Word, and set in almost identical circumstances, unless these arcana had been lying hidden within. Furthermore this is the Word of the Lord which cannot possibly have any life unless there is an internal sense which has regard to Him.

[3] The arcana which lie hidden in this section, and in those regarding Abram and Isaac in Philistia, have to do with the way in which the Lord's Human Essence was joined to His Divine Essence, or what amounts to the same, how the Lord became Jehovah as regards His Human Essence also. They also have to do with the fact that His initiation, which is the subject in this chapter, began in childhood. Besides all this these descriptions also embody more arcana than anyone can possibly believe, and those that can be mentioned are so few as to be scarcely anything at all. In addition to the very deep arcana concerning the Lord, they also embody arcana concerning the instruction and regeneration of a person so that he may become celestial, as well as his instruction and regeneration so that he may become spiritual; and not only concerning the individual in particular but also concerning the Church in general. The descriptions here also embody arcana regarding the instruction of young children in heaven. In short they have to do with all who become images and likenesses of the Lord. These arcana are not at all clearly visible in the sense of the letter, the reason being that historical details engulf and obscure them; but they are clearly visible in the internal sense.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.